In Full Bloom
by Valefor-chan
Summary: An Emperor's request sends a taiyoukai and his knight on an harrowing journey to recover lost artifacts in order to save the throne. In the midst of chaos and fairytales, Rin begins to find solace in the taiyoukai and crosses the boundaries set by society. Feudal AU, eventual Sesshomaru/Rin pairing.
1. Ch 1: Vows Not Exchanged

**Author's note: HEAVILY EDITED. Previously known as 'The First Knight', and changed into 'In Full Bloom'. Enjoy the story! Eventual (but slow) Sesshomaru/Rin pairing set in a Sengoku Era AU. Spiced with adventure, historical drama and romance. **

**If anyone is out of character, send me a PM (I cannot stress this enough, I really want our main characters to remain as in-character as possible!). Constructive criticisms are also very welcome!**

**WARNING: though this is set during the feudal era, do NOT take anything from this story as a historical lesson. Things are warped to fit the progression of the story. **

**Disclaimer: For the remainder and entirety of this story, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the related characters. **

**Definitions:**

_Hannya mask:_A mask that Noh (Japanese theatre) actors wear, often to depict a jealous woman. In real life, they look like angry oni masks. For the sake of this story, _hannya_ masks are part of the attire that knights wear. It is meant to conceal their face and only when their Lord has developed a strong bond with their knights may they take off the mask (or whenever they see fit). _Hannya_ masks are also designed and painted with the insignias and color of the respective family.

**-][-**

**In Full Bloom**

**The End of the Tale of Izayoi**

Underneath the great tree, a woman lay against the gnarled roots, half of her back against the trunk. The woman's head lolled towards her chest, swaying back and forth every now and then, whispering words with a jagged breath. Plastered against her forehead, her once pure and silky hair now contained traces of dirt, sweat and blood. She felt the tickling of a liquid's trickle on the bridge of her nose. From the back of her mind, she knew that it was blood – but whether the blood belonged to her or another, she did not wish to know.

With a grunt and grit of the teeth, the woman adjusted herself, heaving the rest of her body back onto the trunk of the tree in an attempt to fix her posture. After several painstaking moments, she succeeded on her task, wedging herself between the roots instead of lying on top of them. A slight breeze ushered through the forest, granting her a moment's peace from the blasted heat. She coughed and wheezed, inwardly yearning for rain for relief from the parchedness her throat developed.

Thus began the end of the tale of knight Izayoi.

The bundle resting in her undamaged arm began to wriggle, clutching the tattered cloth at her breast. Izayoi smiled faintly, knowing that her life was fleeting and fickle. In her other arm, possibly shattered into many pieces, her mask lay on her upturned palm. There would be no sword to revive her again, no demoness to treat her fatal wounds and no young lord to argue with her about poets long gone. Her lover's whereabouts remained unknown, as the last image of him faded in and out of the depths of her mind. All Izayoi managed to muster was his relief at her successful revival with his fang, and his urgent request to escape with their child.

In a matter of moments, she knew _that_ man would find her – tracking her down by her blood and retrieving her son from her arms. Izayoi eyes shut in pain. If only death would be quicker, for she could not bear to see her son go in that man's arms. A pang of sadness wavered throughout her body, as she gripped the bundle in her arm harder. She was a mother who would not see the growth of her child, knowing only his name that his father had given moments before his own death. Would the gods judge her for such a heinous crime, she wondered wryly.

But even if the gods overlooked her negligence as a mother, they would not judge the other sins lightly. She broke the basic laws between a knight and Lord and dared to trespass the boundaries society infringed on. She stole the husband of her dearest friend and became his mistress. She let her husband's son wander into the darkness, her entrance into his life marking his furthered distaste for humans. Izayoi, a mere human, had torn apart an entire family.

A fond memory danced onto the surfaces of her mind. She remembered the first time her lover eagerly pulled off her _hannya_ mask. He was curious, Izayoi recalled as he said it in his strong and calming voice. The memory turned vivid, as the sounds and green of the forest faded into that of the castle she called home. She could once more feel the warmth of his large palms as they grazed her cheekbones and went towards the ribbons that held her mask in place. In a gentle manner, the dog demon undid the red ribbons, pulling each one taut and free. The mask fell off her face, and the first thing that met her eyes was his warm golden ones.

When the confidant came, Izayoi had already drifted off into her eternal sleep. She looked serene, her lips tilted in her trademark warm smile. From the edge of the forest, the man approached her body with caution, his right hand cautious on the hilt of his sword. Finally, he knelt before the fallen knight, brushing her mangled bangs back. And then without another word, he reached for the child in her arms and left.

After her passing, Izayoi's name became forbidden. The mention of her name caused distress and anger for those involved. But through the mouths of the common people, many of those aided by her hand, she would not be forgotten. Between the pages of history, her name would never appear – but if one were to ask any man to retell the tale of Izayoi and her Lord, they would gladly oblige.

Amongst the House of Knights, Izayoi was known amongst the knights in training as the strongest knight to have ever lived. She would be named as the strongest and most beautiful knight who graced her Lord with utmost loyalty and the greatest love.

But with the end to every tale, there is a new beginning. And thus begins the tale of Rin and her Lord, Sesshomaru.

-][-

**Chapter One: Vows Not Exchanged**

As the birds quelled their song and the crickets came to hum, Rin Ohtori found herself still rooted to the very spot she had been kneeling in for the past day. All that accompanied her in the expanse of the room was the futon the servants laid out neatly for her, a small bag that carried the few little possessions she treasured, and a wooden table of food that remained untouched. She had been starving in the morning on her journey to the Azai's castle, but the not a grain of rice moved from their bowl. The soup prepared no longer smelled wonderfully, but curdled at its uppermost layer.

Rin Ohtori, newly inducted knight into the Azai family, was nothing more than a mere possession. No more than a scroll on the wall, no more than pottery locked away in the storage shed. No different from the bowls that housed her food on the table.

The hannya mask which she had carefully crafted of her own accord and painted beautifully with the colors of the Azai clan remained on her face. With trembling hands, she carefully placed them over her mask, feeling the wood. She had spent several nights painstakingly and carefully carving the mask to fit her face.

"_You are nothing more than a possession to the Azai family."_

Her hands crept past the angular curves of the mask, her palms relishing in the polished wood and hard work. She worked her way to the back of her head slowly, towards the notch that held the ribbons in place. Trembling, her slender fingers pulled the ribbon taut, and soon she felt the tightness release from the sides of her head.

She felt like a bride.

A bride forced to marry to a man she had yet to see the face of, forced to spend the rest of her life tied to a man she did not know or understand. The bride, at the very least, had the chance of cultivating love or gaining status out of her arranged relationship. For Rin, love was forbidden between a knight and her Lord and her status would remain forever lowly. Death was the sole punishment if breeching of the fundamental laws were known.

Cruel it was, for she was orphaned at a young age and sent to a faraway castle, where dozens of children like her thrived. Rather than being abandoned by society, they sought another use and established the House of Knights where such unwanted children would be clothed, fed, and taught to defend their Lords and Ladys from unwarranted attacks.

She did not wish for such a life, but there was no room for her thoughts. What could the word of a young girl with no authority or status pose against the noblemen of the Imperial Court? She could only hope to arrive at the feet of kind and caring Lord. But after years of training, she was sent to serve the ruthless Azai Clan, under the eyes of Lord Sesshomaru.

Although she had been assigned as his knight, she knew would not be there to defend and honor him based on the tales passed between the knights in training. For he was a demon, devoid of any emotion besides anger, who cared nothing for knights, seeing as the last Azai knight was inducted more than two centuries ago. Rin would forever be confined within the walls of the Azai castle till her bones grew brittle, till she could no longer muster her strength to wield a sword, till the dust would accumulate, till her wrinkles and face sagged. Till her eventual death.

_I am nothing more than a mere possession._

Her Lord, Sesshomaru Azai, was a lead general, and the right hand man of the current Emperor. Sesshomaru, she had learned quickly, was a man that could defend himself well and did not need to rely on the powers of a knight for protection. It was laughable even to her, that she was chosen to be his knight when he did not ask for one.

"_You are nothing more than a possession to the Azai family."_

The only sentence he had spoken to her since her arrival painfully struck Rin once more. She felt her heart crumble, her dreams smashing into millions of pieces like the stars that dotted the night sky.

Rin slowly tugged the mask from her face. The tears welled at the bottoms of her eyes, blurring her vision. As she stared at her mask absentmindedly, she felt the tears drop – _plitter platter_ – onto the insides of the mask. And soon, she could not stop them. Her sobs echoed through the room pitifully.

Oh how she envied that bride she compared herself to, envied the knights that happily sorted into clans with hospitable Lords! They would forever be happy serving their purpose in life, while Rin would have none of that joy. She had sacrificed everything for a Lord that would never request her presence.

As Rin clenched the edges of her mask, she gritted her teeth and hastily fetched her utensils on the table. The rice was hard as she felt it scrape the roof of her mouth and tongue, but it did not stop her hunger. She _would_ live for her Lord, even if he would not bat so much as an eye at her.

As she chewed through her food, she realized how hungry she had actually been. Never again, Rin thought to herself, would she forget about eating properly again.

She vowed to live her role as a proper knight, and she would make Sesshomaru Azai climb down from his high horse and treat her as his equal.

**-][-**

Outside the shoji doors that opened to Rin Ohtori's room, a white haired figure stood, rooted to the spot. Her name, he had learned from his bumbling imp retainer, was Rin. Rin Ohtori.

A simple name that was akin to those of peasants who dared not to name their child with more characters so to displease their Lords.

_Ridiculous._

Sesshoumaru Azai turned swiftly, heading back to his quarters. He did not need a knight and he had made it known, but he could not refuse when the court presented him with one knight at his castle. Even his mother, who had been betrayed by the previous knight in the family, accepted her warmly.

_But of course,_Sesshomaru mused. His mother would have only accepted the girl with open arms if she knew that the consequences that befell a knight that disobeyed was death. In fact, he was assured that this time, if the girl named Rin were to betray the Azai clan, his mother would see to it that _she_ twisted the neck of the traitorous wench herself.

As Sesshomaru trailed back to his room quietly, he paused for a slight moment to stare at the full moon that revealed itself. The clouds, long since parted, revealed the thousands of stars twinkling along with the light of the moon.

He would not make the same mistake his great father had, and on his pride, he would take it one step further by never cultivating any relationship between him and his knight. Her mere presence only brought forth headaches and suspicion to the taiyoukai.

Sesshomaru Azai vowed to himself on that very night, that he would not allow himself to ever rely on his knight or request any assistance from her.

**-][-**


	2. Ch 2: The Emperor's Request

**Author's note: HEAVILY EDITED. Thank you to all those that read/reviewed! **

**Warning: Since this is a slow and intended as heavy in character development, Sesshomaru's personality will not differ greatly from canon's beginning. **

**Definitions:**

_Fuuin-no-ya: _Literally translated as the sealing arrow. Kikyo uses this same arrow to seal Inuyasha to the Goshinboku tree in the canon storyline. The mechanics of the sealing arrow in this story will be a tad different – as you will see. Still seals though!

_Hime: _Princess.

_Koto: _A stringed Japanese musical instrument. It is known as the national instrument of Japan. Made of a special type of wood. Consists of 13 strings that are strung over 13 moveable bridges.

_Tsukumogami: _Artifact spirit. A spirit is developed when an artifact is known to be at least 100 years old.

_Wakizashi:_ A traditional sword normally wielded by samurai in Feudal Japan. The length of the sword is smaller than the length of a katana.

_Chichi-ue: _A formal way of addressing one's father.

_Sudare: _A blind made of slats of bamboo. Typically used to repel rain, sunshine or insects. Also used to protect the ladies of the court from outsiders during conversation and to prevent anyone from seeing the Emperor directly.

**-][-**

**In Full Bloom**

**The Sleeping Princess**

_**200 years ago…**_

_Get up, Kagome Higurashi! Move!_

For the thousandth time, Kagome Higurashi strained against her futon, inwardly seething at the useless state her body succumbed to.

Sweat beaded along the lines of her forehead as eyebrows shuffled towards each other - her frustration apparent. Once again, her limbs lay still against the silk sheets. Despite the strong resolve to lift herself off the floors of her room, her body paid no heed to the numerous commands Kagome conjured. Only the features of her face remained free from the reigns of the spell.

Seething inwardly, Kagome panted as she caught up on her breath. If it didn't work the first nine hundred and ninety nine times, why would it work the thousandth time?

Her brown eyes darted from the wooden ceiling to the arrow lodged in her bosom. Along the wood her eyes trailed – towards the feathered end. Wisps of pink light emanated in pulses over the length of the arrow.

Closing her eyes, Kagome sought out the memories from several days ago. When the arrow pierced the air, Kagome flung herself in front of her father, the mighty Emperor. She did not hesitate to think, and only acted on pure emotions – a flaw her mentor lectured her endlessly on. But in the heat of the moment, she could not bear to see her father hurt, regardless of his rash nature. Furthermore, Kagome would not allow the death of her beloved father to lie in the hands of her most trusted mentor and friend.

She recalled the crazed look Midoriko wore on her face when the miko stormed through the gates of the imperial hall. It was unrecognizable as gentleness no longer seated itself in Midoriko's complexion. Only the creases, formed by revenge and disgust, were to be seen. This Midoriko, Kagome knew, was a monster, spurned from the lust and greediness of her father and torn by love.

No words exchanged as Kagome sprinted in front of her father's figure. She could not apologize for the actions of the Emperor, yet she knew that she could not persuade the great knight from her path. Both women's eyes locked in a millisecond gaze, acknowledging the path they had chosen. The man Midoriko desperately wished to kill was Kagome's father, yet the very same man that gave Kagome life was the one who killed Midoriko's beloved.

After those turns of events, Kagome found herself restricted to the folds of her futon, the magic of the arrow working through her body as time drifted. Day by day, she grew more tired as she found herself unable to even feed herself or rise from bed. She could no longer brush her hair or write calligraphy. The princess knew, that after this night, before the next rooster's cry, her eyes would forever close. This was the so called magic of the fuuin-no-ya. Once upon a time, when Midoriko was untainted with her father, the miko would recite the effects of every arrow conjured, and warned that only in extreme cases she would use a sealing arrow to seal her opponent. Such was the fate for a man unfortunately pinned by such an arrow - for an eternity, she would slip into a dreamless state of unconsciousness.

There were too many things left undone – too many things that lay unaccomplished before the enchantment fell into place. The tale of Kagome-hime was a tale that wanted to be finished but could not be finished. Pangs of regret and pain faded as the fear swam into place, gripping the edges of Kagome's very heart.

The thumps of her small beating heart grew stronger and louder in her ears at Kagome laid on the futon. The girl had yet to master the likes of archery and tea ceremonies, had yet to be betrothed. She had yet to mature into a woman. She had yet to tell Midoriko that she was sorry for being an unworthy friend. She had yet to tell her father that she loved him despite his glaring flaws.

Blurriness grew tenfold before Kagome's eyes. She would have preferred death rather than this twisted fate Midoriko gifted her. Losing both of the lights in her life had taught Kagome one thing however: she did not want to fall asleep to this curse alone.

The wind picked up suddenly, as if answering her wish, sweeping the silk curtains that draped around her sleeping area and the bangs off her forehead. The air then proceeded to snuff out the remaining candles that lit up Kagome's room. Darkness overcame her vision as the fear within grew. Eyes frantically searched the contours of the room, in a frenzy to adapt to the sudden absence of light. There was a sharp clack as the shoji screens shut, and the creaking grew as feet neared towards the curtains to Kagome's futon.

Sliding her eyes to the left, Kagome watched as a hand drew the curtains back. In her heart, she leapt. Perhaps it was her father who finally placed his daughter before his country. Perhaps it was the great Midoriko who had come to undo the curse and withdraw the arrow that pinned Kagome's very body.

A large figure stood into place, towering over Kagome's body. This man was not her father or Midoriko, Kagome concluded as he knelt by her bedside. Golden orbs stood against the dark as they locked in Kagome's stare. Though disappointment wracked her, the familiar colors of the stranger's orbs shed some comfort.

This man, Kagome thought as she studied the face, was the great Inu-no-taisho. Though she had seen him many times before in the great court, this was the first time she had been able to examine him up close. Surprise caught the princess's throat as she widened her eyes.

_The great dog demon_, Kagome mouthed to the man who sat on his folded legs. Her voice had long since gone.

Acknowledging her lip reading, the demon nodded and then began. "Hime," he greeted with his low tone. "I've come to seek assistance." His eyes, Kagome watched, trailed down towards her heaving chest and stopped at the arrow that protruded. Slowly, he returned to his princess's gaze, pity filled in the depth of his eyes.

Kagome shook her head slightly. How could a paralyzed girl like her, who did not tempt with the affairs of the court, help the right hand man of the Emperor? Furthermore, wasn't he…?

"As of now, I am a criminal of this country and a traitor of the court," the Inu-no-taisho said carefully with a sigh. "After the fiasco that followed the great knight, Midoriko, the court has decreed and revised the laws surrounding the relationship between a knight and their Lord." Kagome nodded slowly, not liking one bit where this was heading. "Unfortunately I fall into that category and my execution is imminent."

Eyebrows shot up as Kagome attempted to sound her fury and surprise, only to end up hacking coughs. The white haired man raised a hand to stop the princess's protest. "Do not trouble yourself with my affairs, hime. My time is not much on this world either." With that statement, Kagome became aware and recognized the strange odor that lurked in the air when he first entered the room. It was his blood.

"I've come to the imperial palace for two reasons. My knight and my newborn are currently detained and secondly," with one clawed hand, he pulled an object from the confines of his obi. "I have a request to make of you, Kagome hime."

The object lay on his outstretched palms. "Please guard the Tessaiga."

Kagome feasted her eyes on the weapon that slept in its sheath. She heard tales from passing samurai and from other nobleman about this sword that lay dormant before her. This was the sword that protected the Emperor, a sword that killed one hundred beings with one swing. Shaking her head furiously, she exchanged stares with the demon general. This was too important of a task for a nimble princess like her to uphold!

"The Tessaiga," the white haired man spoke softly as his eyes trailed the length of his fang, "Is a sword that has guarded Emperor's throne for many, many centuries. It is a sword not to be trifled with." He then returned his strong gaze to Kagome. "That is why I must entrust it to you."

"My eldest son, Sesshomaru, is a man that seeks nothing but power, for he walks on the path of surpreme conquest. I am afraid to say, hime, that he would not even spare his own father's life for this very sword. If this sword falls into his hands, terrible things will befall this country."

_But how? How can I protect this sword that is meant to protect others?_ Kagome desperately worded with her lips.

"I," the dog demon hesitated for a moment, glancing at the arrow lodged in Kagome's chest. "I am of this world no longer. But you will be. You will be guarded by the Emperor and the next in line. Sesshomaru would not dare to lay so much as a hair on your body as long as you sleep in this castle."

"Your father loves you, Kagome, despite the current state he is in. It is not in his obligation to love you, but in his blood." At that moment, the great general gripped the sword in his palms.

_I know,_ Kagome managed to motion with her lips as she felt her lip tremble. _I know._

Outside the doors that lead to the princess's chambers, the clanging of armor and shouts alerted the two. Loud grunts and much yelling echoed through the halls, forcing the demon to remember his task at hand. Carefully, he held the sword above Kagome's head and focused his eyes on her. "There is not much time. I will make this quick."

_And I am sorry for entrusting you with this responsibility._

With the demon's promise, Kagome felt her head expand as white light blinded her eyes. The pain in her head increased with each passing second. Her mouth lay agape as she attempted to scream, but her voice only came out in soft rasps. She wanted to desperately call for someone to help her, someone like Midoriko, someone like her father…

A whoosh fell upon her ears as the immaculate white subsided and the darkness returned. Panting, Kagome swiveled her eyes to the hands of the demon which was now bare. The change was now apparent, as Kagome felt her body sink deeper into the futon. As Kagome slowly came to terms, the general straightened from his kneeling position and towards the exit. It was his time to exit this tale.

"Thank you, Kagome-hime," he said solemnly, turning back to look at her once more.

_Wait! _The girl desperately urged with her facial expressions. _Where is Midoriko?_

The Inu-no-taisho turned away from her slightly. "The great miko has passed onto the afterlife after a large battle with youkai. She perished and no remains were left to be found, save for a small jewel."

Tears draped the contours of the princess's face. He watched on as the scent the tears mingled with his own blood spilling forth from his body. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his side, in hopes of stopping the pain. Then, in the darkness, a small but raspy voice pierced the room.

"Your son," the young girl gasped with all her might. Her words came out slow. "Your son, what is his name?"

She turned her head on the pillow towards the retreating demon. His claws dug deeply into his clothing as the grimness lined his face.

"His name," he bellowed with renewed determination, "Is Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha…Inuyasha," the princess seemed to sing, proud of her newfound knowledge. "It is a beautiful name."

At the finish of her sentence, the demon looked on as her eyelids closed over her eyes, no longer able to see the brown. He watched as remaining tears that clung to her eyelashes fall off, watched as her breathing slowed, watched as her arrowed chest heave at an even pace.

"Sleep well, my princess."

And with that, his tale with the princess came to an end as he left the boundaries of Kagome's room.

**-][-**

**Chapter Two: The Emperor's Request**

A slight wind sifted through the tendrils of black hair as Rin lazily slept on the panels of the veranda. She knew better than to leave herself exposed in such a state, for it was unladylike and susceptible to attack, but not once did that cross her mind. Her stomach flattened against the wooden floor as she held up her head with a bent elbow. The other hand flipped through the pages of a worn book.

Humming, Rin read the characters written on the pages, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She was troubled, despite her carefree appearance.

Since her arrival at the Azai castle, not once did she see her Lord. When she asked several servants of the castle, they replied with wary stares and shrugging shoulders. Even the retainer (that stupid green imp), didn't know about Sesshomaru's whereabouts and only yelled at her for being a useless human.

Sitting up, Rin untied the ribbons that her held her mask in place and readjusted the notch to make it tighter. In her heart, she wanted to tell Sesshomaru she was much more than a possession, more than the numerous fine china and delicate scrolls that graced the walls of the rooms in this quiet castle. But not once was she able to find him, and on his part, Sesshomaru had yet to request her presence.

Rin did not forget about the sole sentence the dog demon released upon her. At night, as Rin lay her body to rest, the golden eyes came back to haunt her from the shadows of the room, reiterating over and over the sentence. The sentence and the eyes spelled out her impending fate as she slipped under the covers to block out the imaginations. She had only seen her Lord once, but his very presence sent chills down her spine. She found him beautiful, even more so than the ladies of the Imperial Court that visited the House of Knights regularly, but she could not fight back the nature beneath his disguise.

And then there was the pang of sadness that returned to her heart, much like the rolling of waves in the great sea. Her path as a knight was chosen for her, as she followed the string of her life blindly, but Rin was certain she was destined to meet a great Lord or Lady. After all, most knights that sorted into clans remained content to roam the world outside the well they grew out of - was her fate not to be the same? She did not wish for much in her bleak life, but escaping the walls of the Azai castle now proved to be a greater problem. Perhaps, she frowned, she was destined to rot in the here without serving her Lord even once.

A faint melody drew Rin from the depths of her thoughts and her body began to tense. The tune started weak, as Rin lay there intently, listening still. Lifting her head, she carefully rose from her resting position and began to trace the source of the sound.

Her senses grew alert and heightened as Rin rose out to meet the melody, her feet itching to dance along. Soon, the girl abandoned her book of study and ventured out of the veranda and into the garden. On light footsteps, Rin walked down one walkway, glancing left and right to determine the origin. She seldom heard music when she trained under the eyes of the court, and even then, the tunes did not resonate as melodic or beautiful as this one.

As the knight approached a wooden bridge, the melody changed drastically. The knight could see in her mind the master of the instrument plucking her hands across the koto in a crazed fervor Rin swiftly crossed the bridge and over the pond, her sandals clacking against the wood. At the end, she arrived at the entrance of a lone pavilion, draped on all sides by silk curtains.

Inside the structure, a woman sat in front of a koto, her fingers dancing across the strings. As each one was plucked with finesse, Rin felt herself being drawn into the sight. The stranger adorned the outfit of a miko – a red and white hakama that contrasted harshly against the purple silk. Her hair fell into long strands of black that swayed lightly in the summer drafts.

_Her face…_

The wind settled, but Rin remained at the end of the bridge, her feet pinned to the earth. There was something mesmerizing about the stranger, for her beauty surpassed the courtesans and dancers of the court. Rin's brown eyes widened behind her mask, her mouth agape from awe.

Suddenly, a sharp twang cut the air and before Rin could recollect herself, she soon felt her own mask beginning to slip.

Rushing to mediate the situation, her hands held up her mask to her face. The ribbon had become undone and cut cleanly – Rin turned on her heel to the bridge behind her. An arrow lay in the plank of the bridge, still shaking from its impact. She spun around again, facing the pavillion once again.

A summer gust flew by again, granting Rin another chance to look inside the pavilion. The stranger's fingers no longer lay on the koto but on a bow, and stood in a firing position, her arms still outstretched from firing the arrow. The miko bore no mask as hers lay on her very hips, bound to her belt. The once gentle and serene face was gone, replaced by a cold gaze that reminded her of Lord Sesshomaru.

The two females continued their stare until the miko sighed and lowered her bow. She retreated from her attacking stance and stepped from the roof of the pavilion and into the sun. The gold of her mask gleamed under the sun, almost blinding Rin.

"Pardon my action," the miko bowed and lowered her head in apology. "I did not notice your presence. I was unaware that the Azai clan has taken in a First Knight."

All that could come to Rin's mind was a nervous chuckle as the sudden flood of thoughts wracked her brain. This woman had tried to kill her!

"After all, Sesshomaru seldom requests the aid of humans." The woman said as she rose to meet Rin's stare. Her eyes then traveled onto Rin's mask, inspecting it.

Rin stood there still, clamping down on her mask. "You have a golden mask?" The younger girl's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she continued to inspect the entirety of the miko's body.

The woman chuckled as she closed the gap, approaching as her sandals scraped the dirt. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Kikyo, miko and knight of the Emperor." She placed one hand on her chest, taking one step forward towards Rin. "It is my duty to protect Emperor, and today it seems like he has business with your Lord Sesshomaru.

"It is a private affair and I am was not allowed audience. So I took my time to wander about the Azai gardens and found an unused koto. It has been a while, but I am glad that my sound still attracts some sort of audience." Kikyo smiled at the knight, and then fully lowered her bow.

"You have yet to reveal your name to me, Azai's knight."

Rin gulped, the courage whittling away in the depths of her very heart. "I am Ohtori Rin." She clutched onto her mask, struggling to keep it on as her knuckles turned white. This woman before her, Kikyo, was not one to be trifled with. She was someone who carried her duties without a harp of complaint, a woman who raised her bow without flinching or struggling… The single arrow shot at Rin was enough to measure the level of Kikyo's skills.

"Rin Ohtori," Kikyo echoed back. A sudden realization came to the miko, as she returned to tightening the grip on her bow's body. "I have heard of you from the court. You, who has left her training unfinished…"

Rin watched as the the facial features of Kikyo changed - her warmth had disappeared and the coldness returned.

"Then as a first knight that has finished her formal training, I will warn you now, Rin." Her eyes bore into Rin's, as she proceeded to close the distance between them. "Until you gain the trust of your Lord, until Sesshomaru releases the mask that covers your face, your position will be challenged by the other knights in waiting that wish to take your place."

"Do not let your guard down, Rin. We were trained to protect our Lords, but not ourselves." The miko continued past Rin and onto the bridge. She knelt, inspecting the arrow, and then began to pull it out. "There will be a day when you will have to kill a fellow knight. Do not hesitate, for they only desire your position and your death." Rin watched on as Kikyo managed to free the arrow from the wooden plank.

"We are human, yet not. Forced to obey the whims of a man without objection." Kikyo continued. She gave the arrow once glance and placed it in the quiver slinging over one shoulder. "Do not forget that, Azai's knight. Once we go on the path of being a real human being, our powers will weaken and the Council will not hesitate for our execution."

An unsettling feeling settled in Kikyo's stomach as an image of a certain white haired hanyou crossed her mind. She grounded her teeth as she walked away, only to stop in her steps when the trembling voice came from Rin.

"I-I am not afraid, Kikyo-sama." The girl said, wavering with a twinge of determination. "I-I will make Sesshomaru-sama recognize me as his sole first knight. I'll protect him!" Rin turned around, the hems of her robes rustling as she went, to face the back of the miko. "And I will not kill any knight the challenges me, for they are the brothers and sisters that I grew up with." She looked away, into the pond, watching as the fish swam about in their own world.

Gathering herself, Kikyo craned her neck, smiling at Rin's figure with a melancholic expression. "You are perhaps one of the most naïve knights I've met in all my years. We shall see then, Rin. Hopefully our paths will cross soon."

The miko left, her footwear clacking against the bridge, just like Rin's when she had crossed the bridge earlier. Rin spun, only to stare at the back of the retreating figure tearfully.

**-][-**

Bearing the crest of the Azai clan on his right shoulder, Sesshomaru knelt in front of the sudare, his gaze intense.

Earlier, his retainer, Jaken, barged into his study, proclaiming that the Emperor had arrived with his own knight. At first Sesshomaru explained that he had more important matters to attend to, but the look in Jaken's eyes revealed the serious nature of the case.

On his journey to the main hall, Sesshomaru pondered at what the Emperor had come for. It could not have been another feisty shogun, Sesshomaru mused, as his negotiations went peacefully last time. One visit from the dog demon was all it took to silence the stupid and once fearless human.

But now, before the great Emperor, Sesshomaru knelt on the cushion, eyes set on the dark figure behind the blinds. Though the dog demon served the man since his birth into the world, he had yet to see the Emperor's face. Their meetings, held away from wary eyes and unwanted audiences, consisted of darkness and a sudare. Peering through the slats of the sudare proved useless, as the Emperor remained always one step ahead of his general by placing a silk screen also. Sesshomaru cursed under his breath as the dark figure waved at a servant to come to his side, who retreated after an exchange of whispers.

"Sesshomaru," the Emperor greeted. "I see you have taken a human knight. Surely not of your own accord, considering the last knight in the Azai clan was more than two centuries ago." The Emperor's mockery was nothing new, Sesshomaru fumed as his hands balled into fists over his knees. Over the years he endured the light insults and jokes the Emperor released upon him, finally understanding that ignoring was the best medicine, instead of displaying his anger and baring his teeth. But he could not suppress the slight growl that escaped his lips as the Emperor chuckled to himself.

"Emperor," Sesshomaru spoke cooly once the Emperor ended his foolishness. "What brings your presence to the Azai castle?"

The servant that left earlier returned, carrying a box in his hands. He knelt in front of the Emperor, holding the box out for his majesty to inspect. With a quick nod, the servant left the Emperor's side once again and knelt in front of the demon, placing the box in front of his cushion.

After the servants departure, Sesshomaru glanced at the box warily, then back to the Emperor.

"Open it, Sesshomaru." The Emperor urged. The dog demon frowned for he did not like the slight glee he heard from his command.

Sesshomaru flicked his claws, opening the box in a swift manner. A worn book lay inside, but the characteristic that piqued his curiosity instantly was that the book lacked a title. In the white space where most books displayed their name, this book had none. Sensing the strangeness of the situation, Sesshomaru flipped through the book, only to be greeted by yellowed and blank pages.

Angrily, Sesshomaru tosed the book towards the Emperor's feet, as it hit the bottom of the blinds. He'd be damned if he let the Emperor play such tricks on him.

"You dare to instigate the anger of this Sesshomaru?" He readied a clawed hand, allowing his youki to pour forth. With one attack, he could melt off the face of the wretched human-

"Tsk tsk, aloof as ever, my dear general," the man with the obscured face chided. "Patience, Sesshomaru! This book is not an ordinary one. It is a book that your own father and his knight wrote."

_Chichi-ue? _Sesshomaru thought as the red receded from his eyes and glanced at the book once more. A brief flashback of his father entered his mind, the great dog demon with his back to him. In his memory, his father turned slightly, mouthing something, asking for something. But what the Inu-no-Taisho said to his son, Sesshomaru did not wish to recall at the moment.

Sesshomaru returned to the matter at hand. This book, with no writing or paintings whatsoever, was something that belonged to the late great dog demon?

"Explain." Sesshomaru's grim expression resurfaced and he stared at the blinds intently, judging where the Emperor's face would be.

A sigh escaped from behind the slats of the bamboo. "Sometimes I wonder if I am the Emperor, or if you are, Sesshomaru."

"Two hundred years ago," the Emperor started in his boyish voice. "You father and his knight traveled across these lands and met a certain goddess. She called herself the guardian of the peaches of immortality and was looking for objects that her Master had dropped on her travels."

"There were many of these objects, and Inu-no-taisho and his knight collected all of them. When they returned the items, the guardian requested that they hold onto them until her Master returned for them." The Emperor gestured towards the thrown away book with one hand. "That book before you, Sesshomaru, documents the objects that were once scattered."

"However, after two centuries, the objects have gone missing from the palace, either stolen by servants or other unexplainable occurrences."

"I've discussed this with Kikyo. If you remember her, Sesshomaru, she was the miko who fought alongside you in the war against rebelling demons five years ago. She has suggested that these objects, since they are of a godly origin and have been living in this world for two hundred years, have now developed into _tsukumogami_."

"_Tsukumogami_?" Sesshomaru inquired with a cocked brow.

"In a simpler terms that Kikyo broke down for me - after one century, the objects become aware of their surroundings."

There was a slight pause as Sesshomaru stared down at the tossed book.

"I want you, Sesshomaru, to look for these objects, return them to their rightful origins and in exchange, retrieve a peach of immortality for me. Though you act brash, you do not act on bad impulses. The results of the ingestion of such a fruit by me should be clear to you."

A profound snarl emanated into the stark air of the room. "I am not your dog and I do not care for the future of humans." Sesshomaru bit out between clenched canines.

The Emperor shrugged. "I would have figured, Sesshomaru, that you would be hostile to my request. However, listen to my offer and then make your decision."

An aura of confidence permeated from behind the blinds."You will no longer be subjected to the whims and likes of the the Emperor and court, for as long as you and your descendants live. I will strip you of the curse the Azai clan has been wracked with since their creation. I will also inform you of the true whereabouts about your father's fang, the Tessaiga." The Emperor finished with a smirk, glee filling in him as he knew that general would not turn away from such an offer.

Eyebrows rising, Sesshomaru temporarily interrupted his growing anger. The sword that he searched for so long, that lay out of his grasp, would be his once this quest was completed. Lowering his eyelids to a slit, he stretched a palm over the top of his knee. The sword that his father had hidden from him so well was now mere steps away from his grasp. He closed his hand into a fist, and he looked at the Emperor with disgust. Once Tessaiga was in his hands, he would personally assassinate the Emperor and purge the Azai's lineage of that bastard hanyou. But for now, he would continue to play his role as the loyal general and subject to the whims of the Emperor.

"I will consider your request."

With a final glance, Sesshomaru picked up the book and turned towards the shoji screens, an image of a certain girl resurfacing in the demon's mind. The shoji screens shut with a clack as the wood met.

When he was certain the demon was out of the boundaries, the Emperor waved to a corner, gaining the attention of his servant once more. "Inform Kikyo that we are returning to the imperial palace."

The servant nodded and swiftly bade his way out, leaving the Emperor to his thoughts.

"All that is gold is mine, Sesshomaru, do not forget that." With a snap of his fan, the mysterious man glanced at the silk screen before him, portraying a huge white dog demon curled defensively around a golden throne, growling at oncoming attackers. The very eyes that belonged to the demon in the beautiful painting were gold, just like Sesshomaru's.

**-][-**

"Good night, Ohtori-sama."

The elderly servant bowed as she knelt before the shoji screens. Without another glance at the knight, she slid the doors open and stepped out onto the hallway on light feet. The soft thuds of the footsteps faded as the servant left, leaving Rin all alone. The sun was beginning to set, and Rin sought out the candles in her room, lighting each one with haste.

Returning to her cushion, the knight stared at the book that lay in front, her facial expressions curious and troubled. The servant that recently departed stated that this book was intended for Rin. Pulling back the hem of her sleeping robes, Rin bent slightly to pick up the worn book with one hand.

A simple cover adorned the face of the book, and only white lay where the title was supposed to be. The musty smell revealed to Rin that book had been sitting in someone's storage for quite a while. She bent the book back, flipping through the pages. There were no words, no drawings, as Rin plowed through the parchment. There were no markings to be found. The girl grew confused, scratching her head at the strange parcel. She did not know many characters, but she at least understood that a book could only be read if there were words in it.

A light tap on her screen warped the knight out of her confusion and with haste, Rin slid the book under the covers of her futon, adjusting her robes when she finished. She cleared her throat pushing stray strands of hair behind her ears, and the messenger began to speak.

"Lady Inukimi requests your presence, Ohtori-sama."

Rin nodded, though there was no audience to see it. "Thank you. Please inform her that I will see her immediately." She said it with flourish, impressed that she was able to recall the mannerisms that she was taught during her training.

"Very well."

Looking around the room, Rin sighed as she slipped out of her robes and into her formal knight attire. Bed was what she had planned and desired for, but a knight had to adhere to their duties. Inukimi was afterall, Sesshomaru's mother and the a member of the Azai clan.

In the midst of changing, a single piece of paper rested on the floor, and when it caught her eye, Rin knelt. One hand slipping on the robe, she brought her other hand with the paper to her face, allowing for a closer inspection.

At the corner, the paper was stamped with the crest of the Azai clan. Red ink contrasted greatly against the white of the paper, as Rin made out the flower and a dog circled around it.

"The insignia of the Azai…" Rin whispered. It then dawned on Rin that only one person in each clan was responsible and worthy of stamping their insignias on the paper. The case would not be different for the Azai family, she understood. A coy smile lit her face up, as she read the single sentence the struck out against the white.

_Prepare for the journey tomorrow._

-**][-**

"You are late, little first knight." A sharp voice reprimanded from the depths of the dark and scented room. Golden orbs watched on as Rin settled to a bow before the lady.

Rin herself looked long and hard at her lady, for this was their first meeting. Like her son, she too had long white hair that pooled about on the cushions. Golden trinkets of many shapes and sizes fastened onto the white mass, and Rin could not help but glance at the royal air the demoness exuded. On one hand, a finger wore proudly a golden and jade encrusted nail. Inukimi was of wealth and power, and not ashamed to display it. Her eyes, golden like fertile wheat fields, drew the knight in.

"I am sorry, Lady Inukimi. I was not aware that you would request my presence at this late hour." Rin said timidly as she bowed and pulled away from Inukimi's mesmerizing image.

"It is fine, as long as you are here." There was a snap and Inukimi began to fan herself. This was the first time she had seen the girl herself. The mask the girl wore was colored meticulously with red and white, colors of the clan, the woman noted. Breathing in the perfumes of the incense she had ordered from overseas, she slouched on her chair, lazily waving the fan about. This girl, named Rin, was similar to Izayoi in some aspects. A wicked smiled curved her lips.

"The Emperor has informed the Azai family of a quest, and remembering my son's manners, I was not sure if he has told you."

"He has only told me to prepare for tomorrow, Inukimi-sama." Rin answered, her head lowered still.

"Oh? But he didn't tell you why?" Before Rin could answer properly, Inukimi placed the back of her hand on her head and leaned backwards, releasing a soft moan. "Oh, this Sesshomaru, where have I gone wrong in raising him?" In an instant the demoness's demeanor reverted to her confident self, surprising Rin. A glare and a snap of the fingers later, a servant of Inukimi's walked towards Rin, presenting a sword.

"A sword for me?" The girl squeaked, but the lady shook her head in disapproval.

"It is not a sword for you, but for my son, Sesshomaru. Tell me, little girl, are you aware of the fangs of the Azai clan?" Inukimi swung her fan open, covering the lower half of her face as her eyes bored into the small figure of the human girl. Rin shook her head.

Sighing, Inukimi gestured with her free hand at the sword. "That is the Tenseiga, a sword that has been passed onto my son. It was passed on from his father, Inu-no-taisho. However, Sesshomaru deems the sword…unfit for his likings."

Before Rin, the servant moved her arms out, gesturing Rin to take hold of the sword. Rin glanced at the servant's face nervously before seeking Inukimi's for reassurance. A slight tilt of the head Rin made out from the demoness, and gulping, she reached for the sword.

The katana made a screeched as it unsheathed, as Rin inspected the weapon. It was not a strong looking sword, and bared the image of an unremarkable katana. Pushing the sword back into the scabbard, Rin turned to Inukimi, confused.

But before the girl could voice her questions, Inukimi raised her free hand, stopping her. "That sword," she murmured. "Bring it on the journey. It will be of use. Please see to it that Sesshomaru uses it. He may fling the sword over some cliff, and if he does, please go after the fang."

"But what use is a sword if my Lord does not wish to wield it?" Rin questioned, as she lay the sword before her on the ground. She then clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing that it was rude to speak to her lady with such a tone.

But instead of scolding the knight, Inukimi shook her head apologetically. "I know, but if previous knight did it, then you will be able to, little girl."

"Previous knight?" Rin cocked her head to one side, unaware that the Azai clan had requested a knight before. The way Sesshomaru had acted at their first contact told Rin that knights were unneeded as he found it sufficient enough to act on his own.

"Forget what I just said," Inukimi raged at the slip of her mouth. She did not mean to recall the woman who stole her husband two hundred years ago. "Bring the sword on your journey, little girl. Sesshomaru will become hostile towards it, but perhaps there might be a time where he will find it of use."

Rin stared down at the sword, a war within her rising. But the answer was clear. She looked back at the demoness with renewed determination.

"Yes, my lady." And with a perfect bow, the knight grasped at the sword and returned to her room, much to the delight of the demoness.

**-][-**


	3. Ch 3: A Stranger's Appearance

**Author's Note: ****Edited. Thank you to all those who have waited patiently, read/reviewed. **

**The reason why the chapters take really long to pump out is due to plot and characterizing Rin and Sesshomaru. I'm hoping to reach as close to canon as possible, but Rin makes it hard (considering that she was a kid in canon and I'm trying to make her characteristics shine).**

**Let me know if anyone looks out of character.**

**Definitions:**

Shikon no tama: Well, you should all know by now. In this story, it was briefly mentioned from the chapter before. It was found in the ashes of Midoriko after a huge battle with youkai. How will it affect the outcome of the story? Tune in to find out!

Boxwood combs: A comb made out of boxwood with intricate designs carved on them.

Shirabyoushi: A dancer of the imperial court. Not to be confused with a courtesan. Emerged during the Heian period, and I do not know whether they persisted in the Sengoku period, but for the sake of this story we will say that they did.

Shogunate: Like I've mentioned in the chapter before - although there was an Emperor, he was not the one who held the power in imperial court. It was the leading shogunate that did and the Sengoku was a constant warring era between different shoguns. Shoguns are warlords and ruled under military rule.

Hakama/kosode: The outfits that Sesshomaru and Rin wore in canon, respectfully.

**-][-**

**In Full Bloom**

**Chapter 2: A Stranger's Appearance**

"Inuyasha," Kikyo called out softly into the night, "you're there aren't you?"

On the very hill that the miko rested on, she was granted the privilege of overseeing the entire imperial city. At her feet, the expanse of the capital glowed in the dark. The lights of the night market and the candles that burned in homes gave the city its brilliance. Hours ago, the Emperor and Kikyo returned from the Azai Castle safe and sound. There had been no bandits, demons or wary shoguns and that was settling.

The miko waited for several moments before the familiar rustling of branches and leaves came to her ears. She felt his presence jump and land beside her – the hanyou's eyes staring at her carefully with his nose scrunched.

"Keh! I'm here." The owner of the voice settled into his natural but odd position – his knuckles planted in the ground with his knees bent.

Inuyasha's entrance earned a chuckle from Kikyo.

"W-what's so funny, Kikyo!" Inuyasha stumbled over his words as he backed away from the miko in a painstakingly manner. Through the many years that he stayed by the woman's side, the number of times she laughed could be counted on his two hands.

While the miko continued her joy in whatever amused her, Inuyasha scratched his nose and tore his focus away from her. His heart was beating at an abnormal rate than what he was comfortable with.

"You had to accompany the Emperor today?" He asked gruffly, continuing to scratch his nose and look into the distance.

"Yes," Kikyo answered as she settled down from her previous fit. Catching her breath, she cocked a slender brow and faced Inuyasha. Seeing an opening for an attack, Kikyo returned with another question. "Did you miss me?" She asked coyly.

The hanyou almost fell off his knuckles. "N-no way! I was just worried, that's all! Who knows when the next demon might attack you for the shikon no tama? That's all I'm interested in after all." The miko noticed the loss of resolve in his voice as he voiced his answer and smiled lightly.

"Today," Kikyo said with renewed determination, "I visited the Azai Castle with the Tenno."

There was a slight pause as Inuyasha scrambled to understand the last sentence Kikyo had just spoken. The questioning look on his face disappeared all too suddenly when he understood. His eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "You visited _that_ fucking bastard?"

"The Emperor requested his presence, not I." Kikyo countered to Inuyasha's statement. "I did not get a glimpse of your older brother, but I did see someone much more interesting." She tilted her head to the side. "Your brother has taken in a first knight – a human girl no less."

"What!" The hanyou almost choked on his spit, exasperated. "He took in a fucking human girl? Is she still alive and in one piece?"

Kikyo held up a hand to halt Inuyasha's questioning. "She is alive and well. However," Kikyo narrowed her eyes and turned grim. "She is a knight that has been prematurely selected. For someone of your brother's rank, I would've assumed that the Council would've assigned him a knight of the highest caliber. The girl currently by your brother's side is a knight that has yet to finish her training."

Although he desperately wanted to snicker at the current situation his brother was trapped in, Inuyasha frowned. The Council rarely made mistakes when assigning first knights and knowing the temper of the right hand of the Tenno was something that they would not overlook. Those old men sitting there would not allow a first knight to perish, especially not in the hands of a demon like Sesshomaru. That bastard would not have been assigned a knight in the first place, seeing his apparent hatred for humans.

The ideas then all clicked in Inuyasha's mind.

"Are you saying that someone is pulling the strings in the imperial court?"

Kikyo gave a curt nod as an answer. "I fear that the current Shogunate is going to fall soon. There is too much corruption in the court and the Emperor is powerless." She sighed. "The next Shogunate is a formidable foe. I fear for the Emperor's life."

The boy beside the miko gripped her arms, his claws digging into the sleeves of her miko garb. "And what about you!" Inuyasha hissed. He was growing angry now, as Kikyo felt his youki flare. "You've protected the Emperor and that cursed jewel for the past decade. If the next Shogunate would dare to lay a finger on the mighty Emperor, then what will happen to you, Kikyo?" Inuyasha's voice rang shrill through the hills, loud enough to scare some of the birds out of their sleep.

However, Kikyo remained calm and lowered a hand to pry away Inuyasha's fingers. "That is why the Emperor visited Sesshomaru today. He must have asked for something from your brother to keep his very life alive," Kikyo stated boldly. "The fate of the Emperor lies in the hands of your very brother. As much as he hates us humans, he has no choice but to obey the whims of the Emperor, for that is the curse that his clan has been subjected to."

"Like father, like son," she bit out bitterly as she finished.

There was a snarl from Inuyasha's lips as he stood up and marched over to the nearest tree. A fist slammed into the trunk. Splinters and bark flew out, scraping the contours of his face.

He too was a son of the Azai clan, despite the illegitimate birth.

_Shit, shit. _But unlike his brother,there was nothing in his power to protect Kikyo and relying on the prideful Sesshomaru to return with an answer was…_shameful_. He had been banished from society since birth due to the illegal relationship his father cultivated with his first knight. And although both of his parents were punished, he was unable to escape from the bad karma they had reaped. He gritted his teeth. From the sidelines, he could only watch on as Kikyo fought the demons that surrounded her in large numbers.

There was no escape, as she pledged to fight off the demons that threatened to steal the shikon no tama, the demons that dared to kill the Emperor and the demons of the imperial court…

"Inuyasha," the miko called out desperately.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha forced another punch into the trunk of the great tree, not caring whether it would tumble over or not.

Kikyo stared at the back of the hanyou longingly. She reached out to console him, only to retreat her outstretched hand. The laws that bound a first knight were clear to her in the depths of her mind. After all, she had just reiterated them several hours before to Azai's knight.

_We are human, yet not human._

It was a simple principle that all first knights had to abide by. Emotions were secondary to what was important at hand.

Turning her head away, Kikyo returned her gaze to the imperial city which was beginning dim. Her eyes grew glassy, recalling the brief moments she exchanged with Rin Ohtori.

The girl who clutched onto her red and white mask so tightly at the end of the bridge was familiar in Kikyo's eyes. After all, it was only several years ago when Kikyo wore the shoes Rin Ohtori now stood in.

Long ago, the Council awarded Kikyo's powers with two tasks that brought envy to the eyes of the other knights. First, she was to purify and protect the shikon no tama with her priestess powers and secondly, she had to defend the Emperor even if it meant costing her own life.

But Rin would eventually fade out like Kikyo. The light and naïve look that burned in the young girl's eyes would extinguish quickly, like the eyes of a young Kikyo.

The path that Kikyo walked on would not be different for Rin Ohtori.

At first, Kikyo regarded her job with honor and pride. Few knights were assigned with such burdensome tasks and Kikyo was confident in her powers to protect the two things important to the country. As she aged however, the innocence disappeared. Too many atrocities Kikyo oversaw and foresaw within the walls of the imperial palace. The gossips and rumors that surrounded the very castle were immense and suffocating. And although she the Emperor had gained her trust, there were several comrades that died at her hand before he removed her mask that died yearning for her position.

What Kikyo had been trained to do, she set out without complaint. Whether it was a foe, demon, human or knight she would raise her bow and arrow.

And as she roamed through the halls of the imperial castle, she watched on as the women of the court, even servants, exchange giggles and powder their faces. Their hair would be tied intricately and adorned with many pins. She watched intently as the women powdered their lips and wore fine robes. Her eyes carefully traced the hands of the feminine women as they adjusted their clothing subtly before the males, all the while upholding a feminine smile.

At the age where women imagined their lives with future husbands and drowned themselves in intoxicating scents, the only smell that the miko wore was that of blood.

And for the rest of her life, she would be tied with the duty of protecting the Emperor. He trusted and treated her well, she thought, recalling his boyish nature and actions, but nothing could amount to the light that the white haired hanyou brought to her life when she first encountered Inuyasha in the gardens of the castle. Of course, he was attempting to steal the jewel for his own gain, but through the many battles and time together, he too, seemed to have shed his outer shell.

"Weren't you like her once, Kikyo? That girl." Inuyasha's voice pierced Kikyo's musings. The tone of anger vanished, replaced with a more solemn one. His back remained to her however. "You've made it through all those rough times within the walls of that smelly castle and considering that girl is still in one piece, she'll be fine. Heck, maybe she could even melt Sesshomaru's heart." There was a slight nervous laugh as he finished his speech.

Shock framed Kikyo's face at the sudden compliment from the hanyou. But like his anger, it subsided, and Kikyo returned with a soft look. "Is that so," she said lightly as the smile returned to her lips.

The grass crunched under his footsteps as he waltzed over to the miko. He stopped at the miko's back and reached into the folds of his red fire rat fur, trying to retrieve a small item.

"This is the only thing I have left from my mother, but I have no use for it." His hand outstretched below the miko's very nose. "You can use it."

Said item was a small shell, and as Kikyo pried it from the hanyou's palm, her heart began to race. The answer to what the item was in her head was clear once she opened the top of the shell with the tips of her fingers. Inside, a small dollop of unused lip coloring lay. And although the night was dark, Kikyo barely made out the pinkish hue of the color with the help of the moon.

Blinking rapidly, the miko stared up into Inuyasha's face (who was too close for comfort, but this time she would let it slide).

"This is for…me?"

"No, it's for me," the hanyou replied sarcastically. "Of course it's for you, Kikyo. Keh! Who else would it be for you stupid-"

His outburst was cut off when he noticed the slight tremble of the woman's chin. Like before, he backed away warily. Was she going to pin him to a tree with arrows again?

Another laugh sounded off in the summer night, as Kikyo brushed away a tear that clung to her slender lashes. When she caught her breath, she smiled. "Thank you, Inuyasha. Thank you."

Deep in their hearts, the two knew the weight of her words.

_Thank you for reminding me that I am human._

But as Inuyasha turned away, muttering complaints of his brother, Kikyo flipped the lid of the shell shut. She gripped it firmly in her palm. A pained expression dawned on her face when she was sure the golden eyes weren't peering.

**-][-**

At dawn, the air was filled with the cries of two beings - those of a rooster and the faithful retainer of the Azai Castle, Jaken.

"This is the first journey that I will not be able to accompany my lord!" The green imp wailed with all his might at the gates of the castle, earning confused glances from the patrolling guards. It was a spectacle to behold. He was groveling at Rin's feet, as his bulbous eyes poured. Of course, he did not kneel for the knight's presence but out of pity for his Lord. This frail knight that stood before him – a frail human girl no less – was tasked with protecting Sesshomaru.

As if ignoring the worries of the retainer, the girl knelt to Jaken's level, petting his head like a cat. "Don't worry, Jaken-sama, I'll take care of Lord Sesshomaru." This promise however, provoked the anger within Jaken more. His eyes filled to the brim once again.

"Oh you stupid, stupid girl!" He shouted in his grating voice as he beat against the armor that covered her chest. "That's why I'm worried! Who knows what you'll be able to do-"

Rin retained her bright and cheery smile and pressed a finger to her lips as she attempted to recall her training. "I can do many things! Even though I didn't finish the training yet…" At the knight's pondering, Jaken felt his chest tighten as his world crumbled into pieces. He had been living peacefully under the roofs of the Azai Castle for far too long and surely this was a punishment from the Gods for his humdrum life. What did he, a servant that served the whims of Sesshomaru without complaint, deserve this fate?

_A knight that had….yet to finish her training!_ Something inside the imp snapped.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Jaken squawked as he slapped away Rin's roaming hand. The shrill cry managed to reach the edges of the forest, scaring birds out of their nests. Even Rin covered her ears in protest. His tiny hands clawed at his head eagerly. For once, Jaken wished to return to his youth once more – at least then he had hair top pull out to vent his frustration.

A rock from within the castle gates flew towards Jaken's head. In an instant, the servant tumbled over as the injury from the rock increased in size. Rin peered on curiously and looked up.

The taiyoukai strode past her silently, his gaze set on the road before him. There was no greeting or acknowledgment of her presence and Rin frowned. Surely he had asked her to join him on this journey, but with his current attitude, Rin wasn't sure if she was supposed to tag along or not. Biting her lower lip, she settled on a decision hastily and chased after the disappearing figure of Sesshomaru who had already begun his trek into the forest.

The girl clutched her bag as she ran, the two swords held up by her obi clattering against each other. Tenseiga and her own weapon, a wakizashi. She stopped mid-way in her path and turned back to the recovering Jaken, waving. "Please don't worry about Lord Sesshomaru, Jaken! We'll return safe and sound!" With that declaration, she returned to her sprint, trying to catch up to Sesshomaru who had already disappeared from Jaken's eyes.

Jaken furrowed his eyebrows, lifting himself off the ground with a sigh. When he could no longer see the figure of the girl, he returned to the castle, only to squish his face against the leg of Inukimi.

The demoness looked down at the servant, amused. "Little youkai, what are you doing when the sun has yet to rise?"

Jaken rubbed his nose and dropped to a bow quickly. "Inukimi-sama! I was just seeing Sesshomaru-sama and his knight off."

Inukimi lifted her face and looked onto the path before her. "So they've left?" The scent of her son and his first knight was beginning to disperse in the fog of the dawn.

"Yes." Jaken answered humbly.

The lady of the castle smirked, pulling the hems of sleeves under one arm. She returned to staring down at the retainer. "I wonder what role I'll play this time, little youkai. Will I allow my son walk down the path his father did? Will I stand idly by? Will I play the role of an evil woman or a gentle woman?" She mused over her thoughts playfully, laughing each time she went. Time would tell, she knew, when his son returned home. And by then, her decision would be clear.

Smiling brightly like Rin did previously, she gestured Jaken to retire to the castle. "Let us go, little youkai. I wish for some tea…and a massage." She hummed delightfully as she turned on her heel and brushed past the guards standing still as stone at the wooden doors.

Women, whether demon or human, were strange creatures, Jaken concluded with a long sigh.

**-][-**

A week had passed since their departure from Azai's Castle and Rin could already feel the blisters and calluses developing at the balms of her feet.

For seven days, the duo trekked endlessly eastward, away from the Western lands the Azai clan presided in. There was no time for rest, Rin noticed, as her Lord had yet to stop during the day. When the moon replaced the sun however, Rin was allowed to build a campfire and sleep as Sesshomaru left her side. Where he drifted off to, Rin did not know. As she fell into an uneasy sleep, she awoke shortly after, only to see her Lord already prepared for the journey. Not once did Rin see tiredness in his eyes, and not once did he offer a glance to her since their first meeting at the castle.

And thus, not once did they talk through the seven days together.

The first knight worried constantly, fearing that her voice would disappear if she did not use it altogether.

At the seventh day, Rin's prayers seemed to have been answered by the heavens that watched over the duo, for her Lord spoke.

"The book," Sesshomaru said sternly without sparing a glance at Rin. "What does it say?" His golden eyes remained focused on the road before him, glancing about occasionally for enemies or intruders. As they brushed past the leaves of the lush forest, Rin swiveled her bag around and yanked the strange book out from the depths. She flipped through the pages, hoping to find words, but there was none.

"There is nothing, Sesshomaru-sama," said the girl disappointedly as she placed the book carefully back into her luggage. Was this strange book related to the recent Emperor's visit to Azai's Castle?

"Hn."

As they continued streaming eastwards, the golden crops of fields swayed against the summer wind, bringing a delightful change to Rin's eyes. Green was all she saw for the past week and the bright crops seemed to bring some warmth and comfort to her. The presence of civilization seemed to have grown too, as the farmers tended to their crop. Merchants and other weary travelers began to align their path, walking in the same direction the two were. It was a strange sight for most – a noble demon that stood out due to his fine hakama and a filmsy female first knight that still carried her mask.

Rin felt her face redden behind the mask as the others gawked at her. She was not used to such attention; after all she had been confined to the training grounds and recently the Azai Castle since birth.

As the sun began to set, the sky swirled with colors of pink and orange. Ahead, a large city came into view and with the amount of people piling in and out of the gates, Rin deducted that the settlement before her was not a mere village, but the capital itself. The grand capital where trade flourished and the Emperor and his subjects lived.

When the strange and quiet pair reached the gates, the patrolmen looked at them cautiously and crossed spears in an instant, blocking their entrance. Sesshomaru glanced at them, his expression unchanging, while his first knight jumped back in fright.

"State your business," one of them roughly commanded.

Sesshomaru's face remained grim and he reached into the folds of his hakama. Behind him, the girl tensed as she reached for her wakizashi. Surely her Lord wasn't going to start a fight here, right?

Relaxation came over her when she saw Sesshomaru pull out a golden plate, with the insignia of the Tenno carved onto it. "I come here in name of the Tenno," he bellowed, the fury gathering behind his eyes.

Exchanging glances, the two guards released their swords and lowered their heads in an apology. "You may pass, my lord."

The taiyoukai shifted past them, returning the plate to the folds of his hakama. After giving the guards one more curious stare, Rin darted after her Lord quickly, glad that a fight did not ensue.

Behind the gates, the Rin's eyes reveled at the sight before her. The sun was beginning to set, however that did not stop the commoners from business. Left and right, sounds of chatter and shouts of prices clamored in her ears. Mothers with their children, husbands with their wives, lords with their retainers – all sorts of people danced to life around her, laughing away. The capital seemed to be the one place where people were allowed to enjoy themselves. Then again, the current Shogunate was good at defending the peace that persisted for quite some time.

Sesshomaru continued to walk past the humans, towards the residential area. His nose scrunched up at the smells that resonated off the human market, but did not voice his displeasure. Turning ever so slightly, he watched as the girl behind him swerve left and right like a young bird. Her happiness was pouring forth as she examined the sights and smells around her with pleasure. Tearing his gaze away from his first knight, he continued his walk.

Finally, the two reached the outskirts of the bustling capital and the life settled down. There were less merchants and passerby now as they strode past the large homes, each one adorned with a large wooden gate. From afar, Rin could still make out the sounds of the busy night life.

Suddenly, her Lord stopped in front of a door and Rin slowed down her pace, beaming with curiosity. He knocked slightly at the large wooden doors and waited for an answer.

A woman, clad in the finest red and white kimono Rin ever laid her eyes on swung the doors open. Red eyes dodged from Sesshomaru to Rin and then back at the dog demon. She smiled and laughed lightly, using a fan to conceal her happiness.

"So you've come, Sesshomaru?" She invited with one cocked brow, her voice sultry and luxurious to Rin's ears.

Sesshomaru gave a curt nod. "May I enter, or do you have guests over?"

"Come in, you're welcome to visit me at any time, General." The woman shifted her ruby eyes, her earrings and jewelry dangling as she returned her gaze to the first knight. "You can come in too, you know. I'm a demon, but I promise I won't bite." She beckoned with another laugh, leaving Rin breathless.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I am a _shirabyoushi_," Kagura, the wind demoness stated as she settled her cup of tea before her. She opened her fan successfully with a loud clack and fanned herself, her bangs flying slightly off her forehead. "In other words, I dance for the imperial court when there are ceremonies. I take immense pride in my work, I'll let you know."

Before the demoness, Sesshomaru and Rin remained on their knees, listening intently. Since their arrival, Sesshomaru had yet to take one sip of his tea and Rin followed along in his mannerisms. The girl opened her mouth to ask a question about the life of a dancer, but closed her mouth instantly when Sesshomaru looked at her warily. He turned back to Kagura, breathing deeply. "I did not come here for an introduction, Kagura. I am here with business concerning the Tenno."

Kagura stopped her fanning and covered her lower face, her eyes narrowing also. "Oh? What does the affairs of the Tenno have to do with a lowly court woman like me?" She asked incredulously, her eyes shifting to the first knight and then back to the taiyoukai. The taiyoukai seemed to read her request and turned slightly to his first knight.

"Rin," he said softly, the call of her name catching Rin's attention. "Please leave us to our discussions. You may retire to your room for the remainder of the night."

"Ah, but," the girl cried out, perplexed. She wanted to stay here and understand the problems Sesshomaru-sama and Kagura were going to discuss! There was too much she didn't know and for some reason jealousy grew in her heart as she watched the two exchange glances. There was a connection between the two that was stronger than the bond she had with him.

A scowl entered his expression and Sesshomaru growled. "I will not repeat myself, _human_. Leave us be."

Biting her lower lip and forcing back a pained expression with trouble, Rin lowered her head and bowed, her forehead touching the wooden floor. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama," Rin said bitterly. She bid Kagura a good night and retreated to the entrance of the room, sliding open the shoji screen and exiting. Her footsteps clattered away and when Sesshomaru made sure of her disappeared presence, he returned to Kagura.

Her wrist flicked back and forth whimsically, allowing the fan to cool down her face once more. She looked at Sesshomaru with a smirk. "I do believe that girl has the wrong impression of me, _Sesshomaru-sama_," she said mockingly. "Please do see to it that you explain our relationship. I cannot fathom a man like you courting me. The sun would fall from the sky if you ever did."

"First knights are to withhold emotions from Lord besides those of honor and utmost loyalty," Sesshomaru replied quickly, his anger from earlier tapering. "Therefore, there is no need to explain myself to her."

There was another silence that shrouded two and Kagura took another sip of her tea. When she finished, she gestured to the taiyoukai with her fan. "So, what does the great dog demon general have business with a woman like me? Surely you do not seek my services?"

"The Emperor," Sesshomaru began. "Has entrusted me with a task I must complete with haste. I also wish to inquire about the current condition inside the castle before I leave on the journey."

"As of now, the imperial castle has been quiet as ever, much like the presence before a large battle. They say that the current shogunate will fall soon." The woman before him replied quickly with a sweep of her fan.

Sesshomaru frowned. "That is perhaps why I was assigned a first knight as such by the Council. They have not dared to send me one for the past two centuries and sending one now, a girl that is untrained, certainly peaks my curiosity."

"I was surprised too, Sesshomaru. It was the talk of the imperial castle!" Kagura smirked. "And to think that I worried for the girl's life, but alas, she is in one piece and listening to you obediently."

"Do not be mistaken, Kagura." His frown deepened. "I would not hesitate to lower my sword on her, given the chance." Sesshomaru stated boldly as his eyes laid on the hilt of his sword, Tokijin. "The sudden presence of her is strange. I cannot risk the possibility of her being a spy from the opposing shogunate."

"And, she is human," Kagura added, kicking the thorn in Sesshomaru's side. Sesshomaru retained his grim expression.

"Your words do not amuse me, Kagura."

Kagura laughed and took another sip of her brewed tea. "Back to business," she said, her voice turning stern. "What in the seven hells did the Tenno manage to convince you with to go on such a quest?"

"Normally I do not concern myself with the affairs of humans. However the Tenno has offered this Sesshomaru a reasonable price." The wind demon looked at him questionably.

"A price, huh? You're not interested in the likes of wealth."

"The tessaiga," He finished curtly, eliciting a gasp from Kagura.

"My, my. The Emperor must be in serious trouble if he put up something his lineage has protected for centuries." Kagura continued her fanning, staring about.

"So it seems."

"Hmm." The woman gazed bemused at Sesshomaru, a smirk donning her red painted lips. The candles lightning up the room remained pooled in their wax.

"The next shogunate," the woman said softly in a lowered voice as if denying her words to the ears of spies. "Is someone who has been pulling the strings in the court. I cannot imagine how much longer our dear Emperor will survive."

Kagura skillfully switched the topic at hand back to his first knight. "That girl," she purred. "Reminds me a lot of the first knight at the Emperor's side."

"She is a liability," Sesshomaru replied. "Her powers do not rival the miko that resides in imperial castle. I brought her along so that my mother will not be subjected to torment, if she is indeed a spy from the enemy shogunate."

"You will train her, will you not?"

At that question, the taiyoukai stood from his cushion and exited the room, leaving his tea untouched. Stopping at the screen, he looked over his back at the demoness who lounged lazily with her fan.

"I would prefer if she relied on her own sword and not on this Sesshomaru." With that, he gave her a curt nod as a dismissal and left the room.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next day, Rin remained curled under the covers of the futon, despite the sun already reaching its highest peak. Servants scattered about as they walked past and forth in front of her room, tending to their daily duties. For an imperial dancer, Kagura sure lived in a life of luxury.

Her stomach growled as she had not relieved it once again. There was food on the tray sitting at the entrance of the room, but it remained untouched.

_I should eat,_ Rin thought grudgingly. Instead, she pulled the covers over her head in one fluid motion.

Last night was embarrassing to say the least. Sesshomaru reprimanded her in front of an audience at her outburst. Once again, she let her emotions get the best of her.

But deep down in her heart, she desperately wanted to understand the man she served under. Why did the Emperor seek his help? What lied in the pages of the blank book he told her to hold onto and essentially protect?

And if he really did hate humans so much, why did he agree to help the Emperor and bring her along on his quest?

The questions were interrupted by the loud grumbling of her stomach once again and Rin swiftly threw the covers off her, gasping for air. It was already noon, she noted from the sun rays that penetrated the paper screens, and once again Sesshomaru did not request her presence.

Standing up and dusting herself off, Rin strolled to the food at the entrance.

After eating, Rin adorned the simple kosode Kagura asked the servants to lay out for the first knight. The colors of the kosode were similar to what Kagura wore - it was red flecked with white and finished with a pink obi. With a sigh, she took her mask and tied it securely behind her hair. When all was done, Rin headed out of the doors of Kagura's home.

She made sure to bring some pocket money with her. Since her arrival at the capital yesterday, there were many trinkets at the night market that caught her eyes. As she made her way down towards the busiest intersections of the capital, her eyes wandered at the surroundings. Far in the distance, the large and well built castle lay. There was no mistaking it - that was the palace the very Emperor resided in.

_And Kikyo-sama_, Rin thought whimisically as she remembered the woman she met at her stay in Azai's Castle. _I wonder how Kikyo-sama is doing…_

From the right, the shouts of angry men broke Rin's musings. Her attention and words were caught in her throat as she stepped backwards out of their way, almost tripping.

Five burly guards, adorned with heavy armor and crests of the Emperor charged from the depths of the alley way, bursting forth before Rin like fireworks. Ahead of them, a male figure jumped forth, his black robes fluttering in the summer gusts. The sight was a spectacle to see, as the girl watched on with her mouth wide open.

The man turned his neck slightly at Rin, looking at her mask, noting the confusion in her eyes. His lips turned upwards into a sly smirk and he grasped her wrist swiftly, pulling her along with the ride.

"A-ah! Let go of me!" Rin winced as she tried to pull away, but he tugged her along. The guards behind them gave another exasperated shout as the two headed down towards the marketplace.

"Let's go on a journey, _ojou-chan_! I promise you'll enjoy it." He shouted against the summer wind, his black hair whipping in his face. It was tied at the nape of his neck, long and silky. But what caught the attention of the first knight the most were his eyes.

The two ran through the market, which was busiest at this time of day. Screams and shouts from men and women, both demon and human, embraced the two as the man ahead shoved them out of his path. Along the whole escape, he retained his clever smirk and Rin clutched onto her mask embarrassingly with her free hand, thanking it once again to hide her blushing face. From behind she could hear the guards forcing their way through, asking passerby to subdue the two disappearing figures. But alas, no one did.

The man swerved suddenly and Rin yelped as he pulled her into another alleyway. He placed her against the wall and pressed a finger to her lips. Then without warning, he pulled her into his tight embrace, resting his face at her exposed neck.

Rin lay very, very still, her heart beating tremendously. Sweat adorned her brow as the man covered her with his body, allowing her to inhale his sweet scent. She raised her fists to beat off the indecency the man forced upon her, but stopped at his words. Instead, he pressed her frame closer against his.

"Be still for a moment longer, ojou-chan." He pleaded as he panted in her ear in a low voice. "They will be gone soon enough."

Sure enough, the guards that chased them earlier brushed past the alleyway. One of them lingered behind, but muttered something along the lines of a couple doing indecent activities. Soon he was gone too, following after this pack. The clanging of heavy armor and shouts faded and Rin only felt her blush deepening.

The man released her, holding her shoulders in place while staring down at her mask. He was at least two heads taller than her, slightly smaller than the taiyoukai. The shape of the eyes was exactly like Sesshomaru's, except they weren't golden. Like her eyes, they were brown. Human.

A fire burned in the depths of those pits, Rin could make out, like her Lord's. There was the urge for power and complete dominance over anything their owner set their eyes on.

Rin gave another yelp and pushed the man away quickly into the opposite wall. She held her arms around her defensively.

"You pig!" She shouted at the man, furious. "I'll let you know I am a first knight-"

"Anyone can tell that you are a first knight, _ojou-chan_." The man replied as he flicked stray strands away from his face, glancing about for pursuers. He then proceeded to flash another smirk to her.

The girl angrily stormed out of the alleyway. She had to return to Kagura's place now and return to Sesshomaru-

But she stopped in the midst of her march, realizing that Sesshomaru still did not call for her. She furrowed her eyebrows in frustration.

The stranger behind her, still against the wall, cocked his head slightly to the side. "Shall I treat you to tea, _ojou-chan_, for your earlier performance? I must say, it was quite something-"

"Dango." The first knight bit out bitterly with her fists clenched. "I want dango."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Within the course of an hour, the two settled on a hill overlooking the imperial city with their dumplings in hand. Rin chewed through each one meticulously, displacing her anger on the desserts. The red bean burst in her mouth sweetly - however her mind was focused intensely on a certain taiyoukai.

"You sure are strange, ojou-chan," the man remarked as he sat by her side, staring at her actions." The man glanced at her from the side. "But quite cute indeed."

Rin glared at him, her eyes like daggers. She then returned to her food, pulling out another dango from the skewer with her front teeth.

"Something troubles you, Dango-chan?"

"Please refrain from giving me nicknames," Rin said in retort.

The man merely smiled, gesturing towards her. "Well, you've yet to grace me with your name."

Sighing, Rin released her anger. It was not right to release her frustration on a stranger that at least treated her with respect, unlike Sesshomaru. "Rin Ohtori," she stated, her tone returning to its soft state.

"Rin Ohtori!" The man repeated enthusiastically. "So what troubles you, Dango-chan?"

Rin frowned, but could not help smiling at the name he had coined her. "You know I am a knight, right?"

He nodded, and Rin continued her tale. She told him of her task at hand, how she did not finish her training and the attitude of Sesshomaru. In the end, she decided to not speak of the strange book or quest at hand to the stranger – not that she understood it entirely herself.

Throughout her rant, the man nodded, agreeing with her bit by bit. When she finished, he laid a simple solution.

"Well, considering his attitude, perhaps you just have to show him what you are worth. You are a knight, are you not? Then wield your sword and fight!"

"It is not as easy as it seems," Rin said as she lowered her head. "My Lord does not trust me, for reasons that remain unknown. I do not know why my presence agitates him so."

The long haired man smiled as he pulled out the grass from beneath his feet. "You must be patient, young lady. A man does not change as often as the moon." In his hands he had gathered a bundle of grass now, his fingers stained with a tint of green. "You must persevere and hope that one day he will come to understand you." With a grunt, he rose from his seat next to her and opened his palm, allowing the breeze to sweep away the clumps of grass.

The girl beside him released a breath, her back feeling light once again once the burden released their hold on her. Her heart remained full of worry, but a there was a sliver of hope. As long as she continued her duties faithfully, there would be no reason for Lord Sesshomaru to continue his silence on her.

Rin giggled at her revelation and turned up to face the man. "Thank you, Mister…?" She cocked her head to the side in an innocent manner as she faced the slender brown eyes.

"I'll remain nameless for now, Miss Rin. I'm sure our paths will meet once again. After all," he neared her mask, his lips nearing hers dangerously. "I can't ever forget a girl as cute as you."

The man turned away and began to walk away from the knight, whistling as he went. "Well, I'm sure that your 'Sesshomaru' will be looking for you. I too, have a woman who is waiting for me as well." He turned and walked down the path they came from, smirking once more.

"Till then, Miss Rin." He said with his back turned, waving one hand.

"Till then," Rin replied, smiling at when she would meet the handsome stranger again.

**-][-**

Rushing back to Kagura's place, Rin dashed between the doors in the midst of pulling off her sandals, only to be stopped by the sight before her.

Sesshomaru glanced at his knight warily, both of his hands folded behind his back neatly. The two continued their hardened stares until Sesshomaru broke the silence. Sweat pricked her back, seeping through the folds of her attire.

"Prepare your belongings," Sesshomaru ordered coolly, tearing his gaze from her and walking in a different direction. "We will leave by dawn."

Rin nodded and caught onto her breath. But before Sesshomaru could disappear again, Rin shouted his name, hoping to catch his attention.

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

His ears perked at the cry of her voice and Sesshomaru turned his head, peering over his shoulder. "What is it?" His eyes narrowed at the young sweaty girl who smelled strangely of sweets.

The girl smiled, her shoulders heaving from the heavy running she endured. "I am ready for our journey tomorrow, Lord Sesshomaru."

The demon smirked, reminding Rin of the strange man she helped earlier. "Is that so," he said cautiously, his tone nearing over the edge of anger.

Sesshomaru gazed at her for several more moments and then returned to his stride. The explosion Rin imagined him to outburst did not come. "I will see you at dawn then."

The taiyoukai's expression remained grim as he set forth, however he did not notice the bright smile Rin permeated. He began his way to Kagura's room, his mind returning to the image of his knight, smiling foolishly at him, as if she had found all the world's answers. She was foolish, no doubt. Her mind was akin to that of a child's. If Sesshomaru relied on her for assistance, his death would be imminent.

Unlike his knight, naïve and revealing all her inner secrets, Sesshomaru kept his thoughts to himself. He would continue to observe her from afar, and if she was killed in the midst of her journey, then so be it.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Returning to the room Kagura lent to the knight, Rin noticed a small package at the foot of her futon. She tip toed to it eagerly, picking up the flat package. As she unraveled the tough string and parchment that guarded the mysterious gift, Rin reached in and unraveled it for her eyes to see.

A checkered orange and crème colored the kosode before the girl's eyes as the length rolled from its folded status. As the sleeves became undone, a small slip of paper, similar to the one that fell out of the strange book, flew towards Rin's lap. She glanced at it and placed the kosode onto the futon carefully, praying that no dust or dirt came near the gift.

In the strange scrawl, Rin made out the painted characters.

_This morning, Sesshomaru ordered this kosode to be tailored for you._

_Enjoy, little first knight, and good luck on your journey._

_May the winds of fate allow us to meet once more._

_-Kagura._

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

Rin bent over to reach for the kosode once again, but a sharp object pricked into the lower regions of her stomach. A yelp escaped from her lips and Rin reached into the folds of the borrowed kosode she wore.

The item that pricked her so was a boxwood comb. Along the wooden end, an intricate dragon was carved with great skill. She glanced at the two gifts in awe and wondered where the strange comb came from.

**-][-**


	4. Ch 4: Remnants of the Past

**In Full Bloom**

**Chapter 4: Remnants of the Past**

In the moonlight, he saw her – her long dark hair that fell past her knees settled behind in waves. She seemed immersed in the full moon, glancing at it longingly as if the moon and she had a history of sorts. His eyes honed in on her from the shadows, tracing her curvatures of her face and body. In a conversation long ago with his father, he learned that this woman came from a strong political family of merchants. She was once an aristocrat, and now a knight, stripped of all status in society.

On her lap, she held a cup filled to the brim with sake, the surface reflecting the bright moon. She wore her usual attire, and besides her, her mask leaned on her thigh. It had not been long since his father removed her mask, and he constantly questioned as to why his father would commit such a foolish act. Humans were not to be trusted, he told his father. But his son's words were met with ignorance, as the dog general continue to drabble himself in court and submit to human affairs and cultures.

As Sesshomaru continued to observe from distance, the knight tore her gaze from the moon, peering down into the cup of untouched sake. The demon stilled as the woman's lips parted slightly and began to recite.

"_Hana no iro wa  
>Utsuri ni keri na<br>Itazura ni_

_Waga mi yo ni furu  
>Nagame seshi ma ni<em>"

As she finished, she brought the cup to her lips, only to stop when the demon revealed himself from the shadows. The knight nodded lightly to Sesshomaru, her eyes and lips revealing the happiness in his appearance. "Sesshomaru," she placed the cup down beside her and shuffled over, gesturing to a place for him to sit. "Would it perhaps interest you in doing some moon gazing tonight?"

The demon halted in his steps, staring at the knight from afar. His eyes glinted in the darkness, as he maintained his distance. He was wary of her, for she had somehow wormed herself into the Azai family. His father, a once silent man, spent many of his time with the woman, and his mother showered the knight with gifts of sorts. The dog demon was sure her wardrobe housed a more than fifty or so luxurious robes, but tonight she had opted to wear her knight attire instead.

"Ono no komachi," Sesshomaru uttered, taking the knight by surprise. She clapped her hands, her body full of glee. "So you know of the _Ogura Hyakunin Isshu_?"

"Indeed." The demon answered from afar. His eyes swiveled to her sword lying beside her and returned to her diamond shaped face. Then his eyes unwavering, he continued. "She was a foolish woman."

"Perhaps," the woman responded as she lowered her eyes and her voice dropped to a whisper. "But I do think there is some pity to be held for her. A woman during the Heian era was restrained to her household and marriage."

"She chose her path, when she could have attained the so called happiness you humans call it. Instead, she died alone, withering into old age. Is that not illogical, by your human standards?" Sesshomaru asked as he quirked a brow.

The knight laughed lightly, covering her lower half of her face with her sleeve. "Yes, we do wish to be happy. But Ono no Komachi saw past that, for if she eloped with her lover, she would gain the glory she had in the Imperial Palace. Forgoing her greatest love allowed her uplift her status in court through the words of her poems."

"Foolish nevertheless." Sesshomaru stated blandly, beginning to turn on his heel. He had only desired for a walk in the cool night to escape his thoughts, not to engage in conversations over poems of dead poets. Furthermore, this was with the human knight, a woman who he tread carefully on as he kept his guard up around her. She was not to be trusted, not to be talked to-

"Sesshomaru," the woman's voice eagerly bit out behind him. He paused in his steps, the clinking of the sword on his side subsiding. "Would you please stay with me for a little while?" Her voice urged with longing. The dog demon spun towards her in an attempt to retort her request, only to see her brown eyes wavering. In her depths he could see the loneliness and pain reflected in them, and he began to open his mouth to answer her behest, but the images began to blur and fade.

Sesshomaru's eyes immediately shot open, with only the darkness to welcome him. With a snarl, he pulled the futon off his body and rose to where his hakama hung. The rooster's cry resonated in the distance as he tied the obi furiously around his waist.

The entrance to his room slid open and he felt the familiar youki pour in. He felt the wind demoness slip in behind him, her red eyes eyeing him curiously. "You look pale," Kagura muttered through the folds of her fan.

Sesshomaru did not answer her as he whisked Tokijin from a stand and slid it into the confines of his obi. "You will be leaving now?" Kagura asked as she stood from a corner, clad in her red kimono.

"Yes."

"Hmmm. You seldom sleep, especially in my house. Tell me, did you dream of her again?"

In an instant, Kagura found herself pinned between the wall and the tip of his sword. He had traveled across the room, unsheathed his sword and successfully caught her by surprise in a matter of seconds. Her neck was bared to his weapon as her eyes peered in his golden ones. His grim expression revealed nothing as usual, but Kagura grinned as the act alone revealed his anger.

She brought up a hand, pushing away the sword with the end of her fan. A smirk on her face and the demoness merely danced away, fanning her face. Sesshomaru lowered his sword and returned it to his side. He gave her one more glance and began to walk away.

"Good bye, Sesshomaru. We'll stay in contact as we usually do. Your knight is waiting for you." Kagura stated as she stared the back of the demon disappear without another word spoken to her.

**-][-**

Rin gazed at the boxwood comb in her hand with longing, as her fingertips lightly grazed the intricate carving. Her hands flew over the scales, slowly working their way towards the end of the comb, towards the whiskers of the dragon. She could not suppress the slight smile that began to grow as she brushed the wood.

In her younger years, there were no gifts to be had in the House of Knights. She, along with other orphaned children, trained from dawn till nightfall – honing on their art of fighting and skill. Gifts were not presented during the training she succeeded at, and even those of the highest caliber were not offered anything in return for their continued excellence. Only more training and more tasks existed, till a Lord of Lady arrived at the House of Knights and requested a knight suitable for them. And even then, the act of being picked as one's knight was considered a godsend amongst the knights in training, for it presented them an opportunity to the outside world.

In more ways than one, Rin mused as she continued to play with her newfound gift, she was _lucky_. Her Lord, though distant and lacked trust in her, did not mistreat her. He did not beat her into oblivion to demand her utmost loyalty and obedience. When Rin first arrived at the infamous Azai Castle, she was worried – out of fear that she would be confined to the castle for the entirety of her life and abused like the knights that sorted into poor houses and clans. But the demon had yet to lay one finger on her.

The rustling of leaves from behind pulled Rin out of her thoughts. She fumbled with the comb and quickly tucked the object deep into her obi, giving it a pat when she was satisfied with its disappearance. She then rose from the rock she sat upon and turned, bowing slightly to her Lord's return.

"My Lord," she spoke softly, opening her eyes to look at his boots. She closed them once he turned towards her. She wondered where ventured off to when he left her alone at their made camp. She could only assume it was to communicate with Kagura, as she provided intel on the court to her Lord. Rin did not dare to ask her Lord, unsure as to whether he would give her a proper answer.

There was a brief silence that hung over the duo as Rin remained bowed halfway. Her Lord, continued to stare, examining the new cloth that she wore. The orange and crème kosode suited her, for the old knight uniform settled disdainfully in him as it reminded him of the one woman who managed to overturn his father's reign. He spent only a fraction of his life knowing the other woman, yet each memory of the long haired human remained seared into his very mind, unable to wither away like most old memories. He could not forget the soft and gentle voice of hers during their long conversations of poets long gone, and neither could he forget her mannerisms.

Realizing he had once again treaded far into the past, Sesshomaru regained controlled of his self and turned away from the knight. He cleared his throat and spoke.

"Has the book revealed anything since my departure?" He asked, peering down at the hilt of his token sword, Tokijin.

"No, my Lord," the girl replied. Sesshomaru furrowed his brow at her response. The quest at hand proved to be worsening day by day, as the book the Emperor threw at him unveiled nothing. Each page prevailed in its everlasting whiteness, reminding him of the snow that fell on the Azai grounds during harsh winters. The demon frowned, and walked forward. His patience grew thin, as the intelligence Kagura supplied remained scarce and the Emperor continued to stay in a fragile position. The curse hung over him ominously day by day, and it wore on him, though he did not show it.

"If I may ask," the girl interjected as she followed in the demon's footsteps, "what is the purpose of this book? There is nothing to be seen in these pages, save for-"

At that, Sesshomaru stopped in his path and swerved towards the girl, his eyes meeting hers once more. He did not notice till now that on one side of her head, she had pulled her hair into a tail of some sort. In all his life, he had never seen a more ridiculous style – and if seen by the women of the imperial court, their gossip would be endless for days to come.

"Do not question the task at hand, knight." He warned in a low tone. Upon gazing at the neglected Tenseiga along her waist, he met her gaze once more. "It is not in your position to question the matter at hand. Merely observe, follow my orders and we will return to Azai Castle before the first snowfall."

The girl's face scrunched up in anger, but her retaliation did not come. Instead, the creases in her face disappeared and she nodded her head in slight recognition. "Yes, my lord. Forgive me for my improper question." She said bitterly.

"Hn." With the swing of his arm and the rustle of his hakama, he continued onto the path they had been walking on earlier. "We will be arriving at the House of Hosenki. Present yourself accordingly and do not embarrass me."

Rin, recovering from her earlier downfall, returned to walking behind the demon, eyes caught onto his fine, white hair. "Hosenki?" She asked offhandedly and realized her mistake in a matter of seconds. But the demon did not retort this time, and answered her question.

"Hosenki is a Lord of the court and an old friend of my father's." Sesshomaru said in a stoic voice. The curiosity flared in Rin once more as the questions of Sesshomaru's father multiplied in her head, but Rin bit her lip and held back the thoughts. Perhaps talks of his father would be too sensitive as a topic, as she had yet to see his father in person. Not once did she meet the great dog general at the Azai castle, and the imp Jaken only labored over the man's past great deeds.

"He is in charge of overseeing the jewels the women and men of the court drown themselves in," the dog demon continued in his stoic tone of voice. "All the treasures, paintings and poetry of the castle are appraised and kept under his care. It is a rather useless and menial task for a demon lord." Sesshomaru added with disdain.

Rin nodded in response, readjusting the straps on her mask. "And when shall we arrive at his castle, my lord?"

"As fast as the legs of a human can walk," he simply stated, leaving Rin behind whose mouth was agape beneath her mask.

**-][-**

Upon arriving on the grounds of Lord Hosenki's castle, Rin feasted on the view. Surrounding the castle on all sides, fields of countless flowers grew freely. The grass reached up to her knees, causing Sesshomaru to snidely remark at the unkemptness of the grounds. She passed his criticism without much thought, enjoying the overgrowth. Flowers were a rare sight in the House of Knights and only an occasional dandelion grew on those lands. At a young age, Rin learned to preserve flowers, by plucking the plant and placing it between the pages of book. Though she had only collected dandelions and other weeds, she proudly displayed it to her fellow knights in training, causing many to giggle in delight at her "dandelion book".

The knight repressed her urge to pick at the flowers, for that would cause her Lord to frown in disappointment. She continued behind the demon, humming as she went, causing the Lord to raise his brows ever so often.

At the gate of the castle, Sesshomaru once again presented the golden plaque he had flashed to the guards at the entrance to Imperial City. There was no question, only grunts from the castle guards, as they waved to the upper deck to open the doors for the duo. Rin stared in awe still as the guards cranked the chains to raise the wooden gate. Her smile deepened behind her mask as she stepped into the castle's threshold.

Unlike most castles, the castle was painted in a shade of red. Women and men frantically paced all over, each person holding onto objects in their arms. Rin noticed, that each object differed – some men held paintings, while other held vases. Some even carried bits of jewelry. Rooted and dazed to the spot, she glanced up at Sesshomaru for answers. However, his face remained unfazed as he walked past the cacophony and absurdness of the situation. Once again, questions plastered in her mind, but remained lodged in her throat when a being from the shadows cleared his throat and humbly bowed before the dog demon.

"General Sesshomaru," the demon rasped, his many trinklets from his neck dangling above the ground. "What brings you to my humble home?"

The demon, much to Rin's surprise, draped himself in deep purple clothing. He was of short stature, his head barely reaching the girl's hips. But what stunned Rin were the two antlers that protruded from his temples that could graze the bottom of her chin. With a yelp, she remembered her status and lowered her eyes quickly, along with the rest of the body.

Sesshomaru nodded only slightly in recognition, keeping his hands folded behind his back. Though Hosenki was much older than the dog demon, he did not show too much respect, for his position was higher in the court. "Hosenki," Sesshomaru drawled, dropping the formalities. "There is something that I require your assistance in." His eyes trailed the bustling servants. "And this would be the perfect time to do so, knowing your strange yearly customs."

"Ah yes," Hosenki purred as he rose and began to stroke his mangled beard. "But I am a mere jeweler, am I not, Sesshomaru?" He chided. "A jeweler who only knows the existence of treasures and nothing more, as a young dog demon once told me many years ago." Red eyes rose to meet fiery golden ones, and Hosenki chuckled. He shrugged and turned towards the main entrance, outstretching his arm in the purple cloth.

"Now then," he bowed once more, this time in an inviting gesture. "Shall we discuss this over tea?"

After being transported down countless hallways of bustling servants with treasures in their arms, Rin and her Lord found themselves in a large room. The room pleased Rin, as it smelled strongly of lavender incense. She noted that her Lord was uncomfortable with the smell, as he scrunched his nose several times before their aforementioned tea arrived. As a woman placed the tea onto the wooden tables in front the guests, Rin refrained from drinking first, like she had done at Kagura's. Instead, she watched Sesshomaru's every step, not wanting to draw attention or cause reprimand from her Lord.

Hosenki arrived moments later, this time dressed in orange royal robes. He seated himself in front of Sesshomaru, occasionally glancing at the knight by his side, who was rather curious in nature. He noticed the fumbling of her thumbs, along with the side glances she gave to the dog Lord. Chuckling to himself, he poured out his tea in his cup and raised it.

However, the only sound that could be heard was the gulping of his own tea, as Sesshomaru continued to stare and the poor girl continued to fumble with her digits.

"So, what business do you have with Hosenki's treasure castle? Perhaps you are looking for treasure yourself, Sesshomaru? If I remembered correctly," Hosenki hummed as he thumbed his golden necklace. "You did not hold much attention to the likes of jewels, vases or paintings."

"I still do not," Sesshomaru answered. "But I do come bearing questions of my father."

Hosenki raised his brow and cup, sipping his tea. "Your father?" The older demon mused. "If I remember correctly, you desired for his death in order to prove your worth. So what questions could you possibly want from me about a man dead for a century at least?"

"Questions that you perhaps will know the answer to, considering you are the jeweler of the Imperial Court." Sesshomaru answered. Before Hoseki could offer his rebuttal, Sesshomaru projected his voice in a louder and harsher tone.

"Years ago, when my father still traveled with _that_ woman," the demon growled, balling his hands into tight fists. "You were aware of their final quest?"

Hosenki hummed into his drink, returning to the past. He nodded demurely, hiding his smirk and glee at the outrage of the younger demon. "Why, yes. I was aware of their quest. But alas, I only know that they embarked on a quest. What they accomplished remains a secret to me, as it has been guarded by the royal line." His fingertips twirled the porcelain in his hands. "But I did take some part in aftermath." From across the room, he could feel the heat of Sesshomaru permeating. Hosenki knew that although Sesshomaru's strength could never possibly surpass his fathers', the dog would not hesitate to lob his head off in one swift swoop.

"I guarded the prize that returned. Your father was condemned to death on his return to the court, for doing the forbidden. I never knew of its contents, as it was sealed by the mikos in a large black box. The box itself was locked away and guarded, but when the throne lost its power to those of Shoguns, less and less guards were ordered to guard it. And finally, the inevitable happened." The horned demon sighed and scratched his head. "I returned from an excursion from China, and returned to only the ashes of a black box, its contents still remaining unknown to this day."

His eyes rose to meet Sesshomaru's as he lifted his tea cup to his lips. "Your father and that woman died with those secrets. I suppose not even the current Emperor knows of what laid in that box."

Hosenki could not read Sesshomaru's face, but moments later, he noticed the slight furrow in his brow and the downwards curve of the dog demon's lower lip. In one swift motion, the demon lord rose from his seat and left the room, leaving no message or thoughts. Hosenki watched as his knight rose on her knees to follow after her lord, but cleared his throat to catch her attention.

"Do not bother running after him, child. When he is angry, he only broods silently. I assure you he will return to his usual self by night. It is the same as when he was a child." Hosenki urged. He motioned towards the tea. "I've noticed you've left your tea untouched. Please feel free to drink some." He remarked with a smirk.

Rin frowned from behind her mask and gave one more glance to the paper screens Sesshomaru left wide open. Outside, she could hear the clamoring and shouting of servants shuffling their tasks and objects. Turning her head away from the gaze of Hosenki, she lowered her mouth to the edge of the porcelain, sipping a small portion before laying it back down on the table. The liquid was now lukewarm, but the taste of chrysanthemums was not lost.

"Your entrance into the Azai Clan caused quite a commotion in the court, child. You are aware that you are the first knight to be selected into the Azai clan since the incident two hundred years ago?"

Rin shook her head and sighed. "I do not know much about Sessho-, Lord Sesshomaru." She bit her lip at her mistake and continued. "I have been unaware of anything outside of the House of Knights and he does not talk to me much. There is a large bridge between us. It's maddening," Rin laughed nervously. "I did not even know of his father's death until you told us moments ago."

Hosenki hummed and thumbed the underside of his cup. "I'm afraid I do not have much I can help you with. That is his nature, unchanged even after multiple centuries. His father's death only strengthened that. He has become more vicious, and bitter."

"If there is one thing you will learn about Sesshomaru, it is that he will not stop at anything to pursue his conquest for more power. Anyone is a pawn in his mind. You especially, will be the first to be cast away if you are of use in his future plans. He has no respect, no morals, and a hell ton of hate for humans."

Rin tugged at the hem of her sleeve, inspecting the colors and pattern. She did not know how to respond at Hosenki's harsh history of Sesshomaru. She swallowed, tasting the bitter residue of the tea at the tip of the tongue. Closing her eyes in frustration, she gripped the hem of her sleeve. She felt like a fool thrown around. She had first lost hope and regained it when the journey began – but at the very mention of Hosenki's words, her strength shattered like the frail leaves that crumpled in a child's hand in autumn.

The foolishness only grew within as she recalled the words she managed to utter at the entrance of Kagura's house. She wanted to prove what she was worth, that she was a reliable knight, and desperately wished for his trust. But after several weeks of traveling, she had still been unable to close the gap between them. Cheeks flaming and sweat beading, she held her masked face in her palms. What appearance did she show him at Kagura's house? She had promised to show him a stronger side, a side able to protect him and be able to make him trust her.

And what if she was a mere pawn in the plans?

She could not bear to bring herself to the answer, but in the back of her very mind, Rin knew the truth of the basis of their relationship. Once the journey was over, he would return to Azai Castle and leave her there till the end of her life. So be it if another knight challenged her position – he would not bat an eyelash regardless of her defeat or victory. If she simply disappeared overnight, if she lost against another knight, he would probably not notice. Thus was the cruel reality, and Rin hated it.

Hosenki, feeling uncomfortable, rose from his seat and walked over to the bent knight. He placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it.

"I have prepared a room for you and Sesshomaru. Make yourself comfortable in my house. The annual Great Fire will be soon – perhaps you will wish to participate in its festivities."

And with that, the jeweler left the knight, who whittled down to her barest form of a girl, to sob at the pitiful life she had been forced to live.

-][-

That night, Rin finished a hearty meal with several servants. She forced small talk, asking about their daily lives and about Hosenki. She immersed herself in conversation, but her thoughts aimlessly wandered back to Sesshomaru, who she had not seen since his abrupt departure earlier in the day. While the female servants began gossiping about the appearance of a wandering soul in the night, Rin began to nod off. When her head began to rest on the table, the other servants tugged at her kosode and urged her to return to her room for a proper rest.

Giving her proper thanks for the meal and talk, Rin trudged towards her room, attempting to remember the directions a servant had gave her. She fumbled with her mask, retying the ribbons as her fingers felt heavy as she readjusted the red string. This would be something she would have to grow adjusted to. She could not gain the trust of her Lord, and thus, he would never remove her mask.

She marched onwards towards her room, passing by a lit one slowly. Through a slight crack, she saw the figure of the dog demon hunched over an oak table, eyes scrutinizing a scroll. His face was still as ever, reflecting little emotion. Biting the lower edge of her lip, Rin raised a hand to the screen. Her fingers trembled at the touch, but pulled back quickly, like a moth to a flame.

Sesshomaru eyed the crack, noting her presence. He watched the familiar orange kosode flutter by and shifted his eyes back to his letter from Kagura. Then seconds later, the girl burst into the room, slamming the screen open. She was a ridiculous sight, her kosode that he had chosen for her on a whim to snuff out memories, with her childish hair on the side. He peered into the depths of her mask, noting the glint of her brown eyes.

Then, as if her defiant entrance did not happen, he turned his eyes back to Kagura's letter. "I do not tolerate such insolent behavior. Leave before-"

"Why do you hate humans so much, my Lord?" The girl belted at him, her chest slightly puffed. Sesshomaru slowly turned his eyes upwards towards her, folding the letter and placing it in his sleeve.

"And on what grounds does this Sesshomaru have to answer to you, a human no less?" He asked with a harsh tone. He could smell the fear oozing from her, but her defiance seemed to be louder in volume.

"Because I, Rin Ohtori, am your knight. And as your knight, the one I serve must place the his trust in his knight, to protect-"

"Protect? That is laughable, especially by the likes of you." Sesshomaru placed a hand on his upturned knee and rose. He approached the girl cautiously, his eyes locking onto hers. She did not break the stare. Holding his head in a high fashion, he circled the girl, like he had seen vultures staring at their prey. "You, who is the lowest ranked in the House of knights. You, who cannot wield a sword properly…" He neared her back, his head higher than her by many and lowered his head towards her ear. "Tell me," he whispered against her ear, his right hand meeting hers and forcing her shaking palm upright. "Are these the hands of a warrior who has seen blood and war?" His nails traced the soft skin lightly, teasingly. "Strange. I would have imagined that there would be more callouses from holding a sword."

With a huff, Rin tore her hand away from his grasp and turned away from his body. She faced him once more, her other hand gripping the one he had just touched.

"You are a human." Sesshomaru grit through his teeth. "Your life is short, and you are willing to prolong it through any means. You only do not think that way because of your supposed innocence. But when the time comes, when death nears, when the Gods tempt you with eternal life, you would cast away all you have known."

Sesshomaru turned away, towards the entrance Rin had come powerfully from in, and paused in his steps before the door. "You remind me of my father – a man who could not amount to his greatest for a simple emotion, and someone who is too warped in his silly ideals."

As the demon left Rin who now stood in the room, rooted to the spot and speechless, she glanced at her palms. Though they were not soft as a noble woman's, they lacked the callouses that many knights wore proudly. As she remembered the light tresses of his nails against her palm, she shivered in fear that his own hands could easily end her life.

**-][-**

**Author's note: I'm terribly sorry for the long hiatus this story has been put on. (Yikes, a year!) I had to juggle with school and kind of lost heart in the plot, but it has been renewed. I didn't stop writing however, and struggled to put out other stories – but alas, all of them returned back to this one. Please enjoy, and leave a review if you liked it or have constructive criticism! I am glad to say however, Sesshomaru and Rin will be interacting more from now on!**

**Big, big thank you all who have reviewed and read this story! It's motivating and more reviews would definitely help!**

**Izayoi recites a poem by **_**Ono no Komachi**_**, one of the famous poets recorded in **_**Ogura Hyakunin Isshu**_**. The Hyakunin Isshu is a collection of a 100 poems by 100 poets. Below is the translated poem:**

_**Color of the flower  
>Has already faded away<br>While in idle thoughts  
>My life passes vainly by<br>As I watch the long rain fall.**_

**FIRST THREE CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN HEAVILY EDITED. They may be edited more in the future. Reread if you must. **

**This chapter is unedited, will be edited within the course of this week. **

**-][-**


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